and ask questions motivated by curiosity, not hostility. some religious
see that as intimidating, but i see it
in a positive light. i never receive any
negative reactions when i wear my
habit. This being ireland, though,
there is always a bit of banter, but
i don’t mind that. Banter allows a
conversation to begin!

“For evangelization to work we
need to make sure that we’re addressing the needs that actually exist and
not the needs we think, or would like,
to exist,” says Hendrick. “For instance, the lives of young professionals are often marked by high stress
levels. so, in response, we held several
‘Come to the stillness’ seminars.

“These gatherings served as a
great introduction to Christian meditation. some students were amazed
that the church even had a contemplative tradition! The patristic and monastic traditions of the church contain
a wealth of wisdom for our times.”

Tap into tradition

The use of the word evangelization
is a relatively new phenomenon in
irish Catholicism, and there remains
some uncertainty about what it
means in practical terms. Hendrick
uses the gospel story of the woman
at the well to explain how he views
evangelical outreach.

“When Jesus meets the samaritan woman at the well,” he says,
“he does not announce who he is.
instead, he engages her in conversation. He takes her from where she’s
at, but he still manages to communicate the depth of what he is all
about. so evangelization is not about
standing at street corners and getting

Missionaries among the poor and abandoned. . . Missionaries among the poor and abandoned. . . Is God calllliing you?